


A Day in the Sun

by karrenia_rune



Category: Alice In Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-14 08:32:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13586295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/pseuds/karrenia_rune





	A Day in the Sun

Disclaimer: Alice in Wonderland books are the original creation of Lewis Carroll as are the characters who appear here. They are not mine.

"A Day in the Sun" 

 

"Will you join the dance? Won't you join the dance? Tra la la la!" he sang without a care in the world about who might overhear or if he could carry a tune.

He felt quite giddy and happy as if the sun were shining just for them and nothing could possibly pierce through the feathery clouds of joy that surrounded him. 

For the first time, he could put aside all the worries of his job as a carpenter and just enjoy being with his best friend.

He just hoped that it would not be a rainy day for that would put a significant damper on their plans.

As it turned out he need not have worried; for the dome of the sky over the roiling water of the sea was a depthless robin's-egg blue. And the sand beneath his bare toes once he had removed his clunky work boots was gritty and pebbly.

He blinked in the bright sunshine and could finally let all his cares slip away as easily as the endless ebb and flow of the waves stretching all the way to the distant horizon.

He thought with more than a little remorse on his previous jaunt why he had ever considered the doing way with the expanse of pebbly sand beaches and water-logged coves with the white cliffs of Dover rising up in the distance. He had either been very drunk or very exhausted or both. Those two scenarios could only explain it. 

The Walrus was there, lying just beyond the cove carved out of the landscape. Upon catching sight of his friend he waved a flipper in greeting and rolled over. "I thought you'd sleep in until the sky was near the meridian, old chap!"

"No, I just stopped by the town square to pick up a few things."

He normally was an early riser, but suddenly the idea of sleeping in until noon and awakening to a delicious brunch of tea or perhaps something stronger then an Eggs Benedict began to sound appealing. "However, I made you a promise which I intend to keep."

"Do you now? Did you bring tea?"

The Walrus sat up and waved enthusiastically with his flippers. "Did the English invent tea? It really is quite the stuff. And if so why is it that you sometimes bring over black, green or white versions?"

"Whoa! Slow down there! Can't stand the stuff myself, but yes I did. I thought you'd like those little orange marmalade scones, too."

"No, the English did not invent tea," the Carpenter answered. "In fact, I believe it came over to Britain from India, but we Brits drink by the gallons. I can't really tell why it's green or black, I think it might be determined by the herbs you put in it."

"Maybe we should drink our tea after we've had a swim."

"All right. I'll just set the parcels down here, then."

"Further, back, the tide should be coming in soon," the Walrus said.

The Walrus got up and stated, "How about I race you into the water?"

"Now, now, old chap," the Carpenter demurred. "That's not an entirely fair contest. You have flippers and..."

"Then take off those clothes. You can't go swimming in them anyways."

"I, I suppose. But could you ah...." The Carpenter stammered blushing as fiery red as the sun in the clear blue sky.

"Whatever for?" the Walrus asked blowing out his mustaches.

"Well, for modesty oh!" He reached up and began to turn around removing his clothes until was standing in only his bathing suit. 

"I often say that there are a great many things I simply do not understand about humans."

"We've discussed these things."

"Yes, waxing poetic about ships and shoes and sealing wax and cabbages and kings, and whatnot. That's all very well and good, but it's a beautiful day and I want to go swimming."

 

The Carpenter blushed a fiery red and stood at the edge the sea while the Walrus began to count down, three, two, one! Go!"

With that, The Walrus dove into the water of the sea with alacrity, (moving through the water with much more grace and fluidity than he ever had while on shore.

The Carpenter followed after letting the ebb and flow of the water guide his own admittedly not as graceful movements.

After a while, he stopped and came up the surface for air. "All right! All right, you win."

"You know something? I was worrying over nothing. Fearing it would rain and ruin our day at the beach." The sun is so warm that I feel as if I should be doing or saying something more to the powers that be for this warm blessing of today."

"Have I mentioned lately that you are incorrigible?"

"Oh come now! I am not that bad!"

Bobbing much in the manner of an over-loaded ship in the waves the Walrus stroked over to where the other floated. "Told you it was a beautiful day for swimming, and by the way, I just remembered something you once told me."

"Oh, what's that. You were quoting from a philosopher, I think." The Walrus paused for a moment. "Oh, Yes, what was it?"

"Well, out with it" The Carpenter demanded, but not much heat behind it.

"This philosopher once made the observation, the Man was the only animal that blushes or that needs to."

"Don't be absurd!" The Carpenter replied. 

"Well, it's not like I have anything on which test the theory on."

"Just for that, you're not getting any pastries for dessert. They're probably bad for the digestion anyway," The Carpenter replied.

"Hmph, and maybe you're a greedy grumpus." 

The Walrus began to splash his companion with his flippers and eventually it became of mutual splashing and floundering around and finally they both ended back at the cove where they enjoyed a repast of tea and orange marmalade scones.

 

Written for the Multifandom 2018 Poetry Challenge  
Prompt:

From XXI. Greece

 

Whose scythe-like coves left us speechless  
and shockingly bold as we unpeeled our bathing suits  
like human wrappers, letting pebbly sand stick  
to our backs, while the sun conducted its trade routes.


End file.
